Apparatuses and methods for separating, feeding and mounting o-rings

ABSTRACT

The present application discloses an apparatus for separating and feeding O-rings, which includes a rotatable body including a storage portion and a separating portion; and a helix groove formed on the rotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of a O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of the rotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to thereby separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus foroperating O-rings, and more specifically, to apparatuses and methods forseparating, feeding and mounting O-rings.

BACKGROUND

An O-ring, also known as a packing or a tonic joint, is a mechanicalgasket in the shape of a torus. It is a loop of elastomer with a roundcross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed duringassembly between two or more parts, creating a seal at the interface.The O-ring may be used in static applications or in dynamic applicationswhere there is relative motion between the parts and the O-ring. O-ringsare one of the most common seals used in machine design because they areinexpensive, easy to make, reliable.

Under normal conditions, O-rings are assembled manually, which isinefficient and labor-intensive and significantly reduces the overallassembly efficiency of a work piece. In order to increase efficiency,the demand for automated assembly of O-rings is increasing. Theautomated assembly of O-rings involves feeding and mounting of O-rings.Typically, a mechanism for feeding the O-rings utilizes vibration tosort and separate the O-rings, which is more applicable for the O-ringshaving a small ratio of an inner diameter I to a wire diameter W (refersto as “rigid O-rings”). Such rigid O-rings are generally not easilydeformed and difficult to tangle together, and thus they can beseparated using vibration. However, vibration does not work for theO-rings having a large ratio of the inner diameter I to the wirediameter W (refers to as “flexible O-rings”), which are more widely usedin the industry, because they are easily deformed and entangled.

Furthermore, traditional O-ring auto-assembly methods are usually merelysuitable for the O-ring mounting on an outer circumference of a shaft oran inner circumference of a hole. However, such methods cannot beapplied to mounting the O-ring, particularly the flexible O-ring, in agroove on an end surface of a work piece, which is also widely used inthe industry. For example, almost all the O-rings in the joints of amanipulator robot are mounted in the groove on the end surface.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for providingan apparatus for separating and feeding O-rings.

In a first aspect, an apparatus for separating and feeding O-rings isprovided. The apparatus comprises a rotatable body including a storageportion and a separating portion; and a helix groove formed on therotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion,wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wirediameter of a O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separatingportion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion tothe separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of therotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hangedon the storage portion to the separating portion to thereby separate theplurality of O-rings away from each other.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a limitingmechanism arranged over the separating portion and adapted to preventthe plurality of O-rings from being out of the helix groove during theconveying.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a holding mechanismarranged over the storage portion and comprising a guiding sectionextended from an end of the limiting mechanism adjacent to the storageportion and away from the rotatable body in a direction opposite to thefeeding direction; and a holding section extending from an end of theguiding section away from the separating portion and adapted to bereceived in an operating mechanism of a robot to couple the limitingmechanism to the robot.

In some embodiments, the guiding mechanism and the holding mechanism areintegrally formed.

In some embodiments, a distance between the limiting mechanism and therotatable body is smaller than the wire diameter of the O-ring.

In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism is attached to the rotatablebody by magnetic attraction.

In some embodiments, a cross-section of the helix groove on the storageportion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of an arc shape.

In some embodiments, a cross-section of the helix groove on theseparating portion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of arectangular or trapezoidal shape.

In some embodiments, the rotatable body is adapted to be received in anoperating mechanism of a robot to thereby be coupled to the robot.

In second aspect, a robot is provided. The robot is operable to use theapparatus as mentioned above to separate and feed O-rings.

In third aspect, a method of manufacturing the above mentioned apparatusis provided.

It is to be understood that the Summary is not intended to identify keyor essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor isit intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure.Other features of the present disclosure will become easilycomprehensible through the description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become more apparent through more detailed depiction ofexample embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein in the example embodiments of the presentdisclosure, same reference numerals usually represent same components.

FIG. 1 shows a front view and a side view of an O-ring;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for separating andfeeding O-rings according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a partially enlarged sectional view of the apparatus forseparating and feeding O-rings according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a feeding process of the apparatusfor separating and feeding O-rings according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the apparatus for separating andfeeding O-rings which is coupled to a robot according to embodiments ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for mounting an O-ringto a work piece according to embodiments of the present disclosure,wherein picking components with the O-ring are arranged over the workpiece;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the apparatus for mounting the O-ring to thework piece according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the O-ring being pushed into thegroove along a guiding component;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for mounting an O-ringto a work piece according to other embodiments of the presentdisclosure, wherein finger mechanisms are arranged over the work piece;

FIGS. 10A-10C show a perspective view of the O-ring being pushed intothe groove along a guiding component with the finger mechanisms;

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of a method for mounting the O-ring on thework piece according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for mounting an O-ringto a work piece according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure, wherein the body is arranged over the work piece;

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus for mounting theO-ring to the work piece according to some other embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the apparatus for mounting an O-ringto a work piece according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 shows a partially enlarged view of the radial cross-section ofthe annular groove of the apparatus for separating and feeding O-ringsaccording to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 16A and 16B show a schematic diagram of a process of the apparatusfor ensuring the O-ring to be sucked in the annual groove according tosome other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the apparatus with a positioningsensor for mounting an O-ring to a work piece according to some otherembodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of a method for mounting the O-ring on thework piece according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference symbols are usedto indicate the same or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to severalexample embodiments. It is to be understood these embodiments arediscussed only for the purpose of enabling those skilled persons in theart to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure,rather than suggesting any limitations on the scope of the subjectmatter.

As used herein, the term “comprises” and its variants are to be read asopen terms that mean “comprises, but is not limited to.” The term “basedon” is to be read as “based at least in part on.” The term “oneembodiment” and “an embodiment” are to be read as “at least oneembodiment.” The term “another embodiment” is to be read as “at leastone other embodiment.” The terms “first,” “second,” and the like mayrefer to different or same objects. Other definitions, explicit andimplicit, may be comprised below. A definition of a term is consistentthroughout the description unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise.

There are many sizes of O-rings used in the industry. FIG. 1 shows afront view and a side view of an O-ring 200. As shown, the O-ring 200with certain elasticity has a wire diameter W and an inner diameter I.Generally, a ratio of the inner diameter I to the wire diameter W mayreflect the deformation ability of the O-ring 200 to a certain extent.Specifically, the smaller the ratio, the harder deformed (refers to as“rigid O-ring”) and the larger the ratio, the more easily deformed(refers to as “flexible O-ring”).

Flexible O-rings are widely used in the industry for a variety ofpurposes. However, the flexible O-rings are usually easy to be deformedand entangled, and as a result, they cannot be easily separated and fedwith the conventional vibration apparatus and method. Thus, in manycases, the flexible O-rings need to be separated or fed manually. Manualoperation is inefficient and labor-intensive which significantly reducesthe overall assembly efficiency of a work piece. Furthermore, manualseparation and feeding of the O-rings are also prone to mal-operationsand various assembly problems.

In order to improve efficiency and accuracy, embodiments of the presentdisclosure provide an apparatus 100 for separating and feeding O-rings200. Now some example embodiments will be described with reference toFIGS. 2-5.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the apparatus 100 for separating andfeeding O-rings 200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure;FIG. 3 shows a partially enlarged view of the apparatus for separatingand feeding O-rings 200; FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a feedingprocess of the apparatus 100; and FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram ofthe apparatus 100 coupled to a robot according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Generally, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the apparatus 100 comprises arotatable body 101 and a helix groove 104 formed thereon. In someembodiments, the rotatable body 101 may be hollow or solid. In someother embodiments, the rotatable body 101 may be integrally formed orassembled. For example, the rotatable body 101 may be injection moldedor formed by coating a metal rod with a layer of plastic. It is to beunderstood that the above embodiment of forming the rotatable body 101is merely for illustration, without suggesting any limitations as to thescope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable methods and/orarrangements are possible as well. For example, the rotatable body 101and the helix groove 104 may be made by molding.

The rotatable body 101 comprises two portions, a storage portion 102 anda separating portion 103. These portions are arranged in the feedingdirection F, as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the storage portion 102is used for storing a plurality of O-rings 200 to be separated and fed.That is, the O-rings 200 may be hanged on the rotatable body 101, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a helix groove 104is formed on the rotatable body 101 across the storage portion 102 andthe separating portion 103. A width and a depth of the helix groove 104are adapted to the wire diameter W of the O-ring 200, so that only oneO-ring can be hanged on a same position of the helix groove 104. Inaddition, the helix groove 104 is formed in such a way that the pitch Pthereof on the separating portion 103 increases along the feedingdirection F, as shown in FIG. 2.

In operation, the rotatable body 101 may be driven to rotate, forexample, by a robot 300, a motor (not shown) or the like. Rotation ofthe body 101 causes relative movement between the O-ring 200 and thehelix groove 104. As a result, as the rotatable body 101 turns onecircle, the O-ring 200 in the helix groove 104 can be conveyed in thefeeding direction F by one pitch. In this way, the plurality of O-rings200 hanged on the storage portion 102 are conveyed in the helix groove104 forwardly with the rotation of the rotatable body 101, as shown inFIG. 4.

Due to the increased pitch P of the helix groove 104 on the separatingportion 103, as the rotatable body 101 turns one cycle, the O-rings 200in the different positions of the helix groove 104 on the separatingportion 103 may be conveyed by different distances. Only by way ofexample, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, at the beginning, a first O-ring 200₁ is located in a first position P1 and a second O-ring 200 ₂ is locatedin a second position P2. As shown, a distance between the first positionP1 and the second position P2 is one pitch. With the rotatable body 101turning one circle, the first O-ring 200 ₁ is conveyed to the secondposition P2 and the second O-ring 200 ₂ is conveyed to a third positionP3, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As described above, the pitch P increasesalong the feeding direction F, which means that the distance between thefirst position P1 and the second position P2 is different from thedistance between the second position P2 and the third position P3. As aresult, the conveyed distance of the first O-ring 200 ₁ is shorter thanthe one of the second O-ring 200 ₂. In this way, with the rotation ofthe rotatable body 101, the distance between the first O-ring 200 ₁ andthe second O-ring 200 ₂ increase gradually, during which process thefirst O-ring 200 ₁ and the second O-ring 200 ₂ are separated, as shownin FIG. 4. Eventually, the separated O-rings 200 can be conveyed to apredetermined position. In some embodiments, the predetermined positionmay be a position adjacent to the work piece 400. The work piece 400 maycomprise a groove 402 for receiving the O-ring on an end surface 401,which will be discussed with reference to FIG. 6 below. It is to beunderstood that the predetermined position may be any position thatfacilitates the mounting of the O-ring 200 to the work piece 402.

By use of the apparatus 100 as described herein, no matter how flexiblethe O-rings 200 are, the O-rings 200 may be separated and fed to thepredetermined position in an efficient and automated way. In this way,the automated separation and feeding of the O-rings 200, particularlythe flexible O-rings, may be achieved. Furthermore, in some embodiments,the rotatable body 101 may be engaged with an operating mechanism 301 ofthe robot 300 to thereby be coupled to the robot 300, as shown in FIG.5, which will be discussed in detail below. Thus, the rotatable body 101may be controlled to rotate by the robot 300 and thus efficiency andaccuracy are guaranteed.

It can be seen that with the apparatus 100, the automated separation andfeeding of the O-rings 200 can be achieved by conveying each of theO-rings 200 in the different positions of the helix groove 104. In casethat there are large numbers of O-rings 200 in the storage portion 102,the O-rings 200 may overlap in the same position of the helix groove104, which causes the O-rings 200 to be conveyed out of the helix groove104. In some embodiments, in order to prevent the plurality of O-rings200 from being out of the helix groove 104 and/or to prevent more thanone O-ring 200 from overlapping in the same position of the helix groove104 in the separating portion 103 during the conveying, a limitingmechanism 1053 may be provided, as shown in FIG. 2.

As shown, the limiting mechanism 1053 may be arranged over theseparating portion 103 to block the overlapping O-rings 200, so that theoverlapping O-rings 200 can be conveyed to the separating portion 103only after they are located in the helix groove 104, as shown in FIG. 3.In this way, it can be ensured with the limiting mechanism 1053 thateach of the O-rings 200 is conveyed separately in the helix groove 104in the separating portion 103.

In some embodiments, a distance between the limiting mechanism 1053 andthe rotatable body 101 may be set to be smaller than the wire diameter Wof the O-ring 200. As a result, the overlapping O-rings 200 may beblocked because they cannot pass through a space between the limitingmechanism 1053 and the rotatable body 101. Alternatively, in otherembodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 may contact the outercircumference of the rotatable body 101. That is, the distance betweenthe limiting mechanism 1053 and the rotatable body 101 may besubstantially zero, as shown in FIG. 3, which facilitates the attachmentof the limiting mechanism 1053 to the rotatable body 101.

The limiting mechanism 1053 may be attached to the rotatable body 101 ina variety of ways. In some embodiments, for example, the limitingmechanism 1053 and the rotatable body 101 may be attached with eachother by magnetic attraction. For example, at least a part of therotatable body 101 may be made of magnetic absorbent material, such asiron, and at least a part of the limiting mechanism 1053 may be made ofa magnet. In this way, the limiting mechanism 1053 may be attached tothe rotatable body 101 by being absorbed with each other. It is to beunderstood that the above embodiments of attaching the limiting portion1053 to the rotatable body 101 are merely for illustration, withoutsuggesting any limitations as to the scope of the present disclosure.Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements are possible as well.For example, in some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 may beattached to the rotatable body 101 via a pivoting mechanism. Thepivoting mechanism may be operable to cause the limiting mechanism 1053and the rotatable body 101 to pivot relative to each other.

As described above, in some embodiments, the body 101 may be driven by arobot 300 as shown in FIG. 5. To this end, the rotatable body 101 may beengaged with an operating mechanism 301. In some embodiments, thelimiting mechanism 1053 and the rotatable body 101 may be coupled todifferent engaging structures of the operating mechanism 301, as shownin FIG. 5. In this way, the robot 300 may control the limiting mechanism1053 and the rotatable body 101 to move relative to each other.

In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 and the rotatable body101 may be controlled by the robot 300 to move towards or away from eachother. In some other embodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 and therotatable body 101 may be controlled to pivot relative to each other.With such movement of the limiting mechanism 1053 and the rotatable body101 relative to each other, the plurality of O-rings 200 may be pickedor clamped from a stack of the O-rings 200 onto the storage portion 102of the rotatable body 101. For example, the rotatable body 101 may becontrolled to move away from the limiting mechanism 1053 and theninserted in the stack of the O-rings 200. Then the robot 300 controlsthe limiting mechanism 1053 and the rotatable body 101 to move towardseach other, thereby picking or clamping the plurality of O-rings 200 onthe rotatable body 101. The plurality of O-rings 200 on the rotatablebody 101 may be hanged onto the storage portion 102 in a variety ofways. For example, the robot 300 may control the rotatable body 101 torotate so that the storage portion 102 is located at a lower part of therotatable body 101. As a result, the plurality of O-rings 200 may slideto the storage portion 102 under gravity.

It is to be understood that the above embodiment of picking the O-rings200 into the storage portion 102 is merely for illustration, withoutsuggesting any limitations as to the scope of the present disclosure.Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements are possible as well.For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of O-rings 200 may bearranged to the storage portion 102 by another robot or manually.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may further comprise a holdingmechanism 1055, with which the limiting mechanism 1053 may be coupled tothe robot 300. The holding mechanism 1055 may comprise a guiding section1051 and a holding section 1052, as shown in FIG. 2. The guiding section1051 may be extended from an end 1054 of the limiting mechanism 1053adjacent to the storage portion 102 and away from the rotatable body 101in a direction opposite to the feeding direction F. For example, in someembodiments, the guiding section 1051 may be inclined from the end 1054of the limiting mechanism 1053, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, insome embodiments, the guiding section 1051 may be extended from andperpendicular to the limiting mechanism 1053.

The holding section 1052 may extend from an end 1056 of the guidingsection 1051 away from the separating portion 103 and may be engagedwith the operating mechanism 301 of the robot 300. In this way, thelimiting mechanism 1053 may be coupled to the robot 300.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the guiding section 1051 and theholding section 1052 are arranged over the storage portion 102 away fromthe rotatable body 101 by a certain distance. Because the space betweenthe holding section 1052 and the storage portion 102 may be used foraccommodating O-rings 200, the larger the distance therebetween, moreO-rings 200 may be hanged on the storage portion 102. The distancebetween the holding section 1052 and the rotatable body 101 may besubstantially the same as a distance of the engaging structures of therobot 300.

In some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 and the holdingmechanism 1052 may be integrally formed. For example, the limitingmechanism 1053 and the holding mechanism 1052 may be injection molded.Alternatively, in other embodiments, the holding mechanism 1052 may bemounted on the limiting mechanism 1053 using suitable fasteners.

In some embodiments, the cross-section of the helix groove 104 on thestorage portion 102 in a plane parallel to the feeding direction F is ofan arc shape, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thediameter of the storage portion 102 may reduce due to the arccross-section shape of the helix groove 104 on the storage portion 102and thus the space between the storage portion 102 and the holdingsection 1052 may be increased. As a result, such embodiments also enablethe storage portion 102 to hang a relatively large number of O-rings200.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, a cross-section of the helixgroove 104 on the separating portion 103 in a plane parallel to thefeeding direction F is of a rectangular or trapezoidal shape. This wouldfacilitate preventing the O-rings 200 from sliding out of the helixgroove 104 during the conveying. Furthermore, with the rectangular ortrapezoidal cross-section shape of the helix groove 104, the rotatablebody 101 may be made more easily. It is to be understood that the aboveembodiment of the cross-section of the helix groove 104 is merely forillustration, without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of thepresent disclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or arrangementsare possible as well. For example, in some embodiments, thecross-section of the helix groove 104 may be U-shaped, V-shaped or thelike.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the limiting mechanism 1053 may bearranged over a section of the storage portion 102 adjacent to theseparating portion 103, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, the overlappingO-ring 200 may be blocked in the section of the storage portion 102adjacent to the separating portion 103, which ensures that the O-ring200 may only be conveyed in the helix groove 104 when in the separatingportion 103.

By means of the apparatus 100 and the associated process of separatingand feeding the O-ring 200 as described above, the O-rings 200 may beseparated and fed to a predetermined position for subsequent process.

In order to automate the mounting of the O-ring 200 such as the flexibleO-ring to the work piece 402, an apparatus 500 for mounting the O-ring200 to the work piece 400 is proposed herein. FIG. 6 shows a perspectiveview of the apparatus 500 for mounting the O-ring 200 to the work piece400 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

In general, as shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus 500 comprises a pluralityof picking components 501 and a guiding component 502. The plurality ofpicking components 501 may be actuated to move away from each other tocontact and expand the O-ring 200 located on the predetermined positionwith their outer circumference, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In some embodiments, the picking components 501 may be actuated by therobot 300, which will be discussed in detail below. It is to beunderstood that actuating picking components 501 by the robot 300 ismerely for illustration, without suggesting any limitations as to thescope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable structures and/orarrangements to actuate the picking components 501 are possible as well.For example, in some embodiments, the picking components 501 may also beactuated by a servo motor via suitable mechanisms.

Furthermore, the picking components 501 may be moved away from eachother in a plane parallel to a plane of the predetermined position wherethe O-ring 200 is located, so that the O-ring 200 may be picked from thepredetermined position. In some embodiments, after picking the O-ring200, the picking component 501 moves with the O-ring 200 to a positionover the work piece 400, as shown in FIG. 6. The picking components 501may be moved towards each other to release the O-ring 200 onto theguiding component 502.

In some embodiments, the guiding component 502 may comprise a frustumportion 5021. The guiding component 502 may be placed on an end surface401 so that the frustum portion 5021 is coaxial with the groove 402 ofthe work piece 400 which is for receiving the O-ring 200. As shown inFIG. 6, a large end face 5022 of the frustum portion 5021 is adjacent tothe end surface 401. The diameter D of the frustum portion 5021 issubstantially the same as an inner diameter of the groove 402. In thisway, after the O-ring 200 is released onto a tapered surface of thefrustum portion 5021, as shown in FIG. 8, the O-ring 200 may be pushedinto the groove 402 along the tapered surface.

As mentioned above, the O-ring 200, particular the flexible O-ring, iseasy to be deformed, making it difficult to be positioned. Thus, it isimpossible to pick and mount the O-ring 200 with the traditionalapparatus. According to the picking components 501 disclosed herein, nomatter how deformed the O-ring 200 is, the picking components 501 maypick the O-ring 200 by contacting and expanding the O-ring 200. As aresult, it is no need for positioning the O-ring 200, and thusdisadvantage effects of deformation of the O-ring 200 are eliminated. Inthis way, no matter how the O-ring 200 is deformed, the O-ring 200 maybe picked and moved to the position over the work piece 400.Furthermore, after the O-ring 200 is released onto the tapered surfaceof the frustum portion 5021, the tapered surface with a circlecross-section may reshape the deformed O-ring 200 to the originalring-shape. The O-ring 200 is then pushed into the groove 402 along thetapered surface, which ensures that the O-ring may be fitted into thegroove 402 even in case that the O-ring 200 is deformed.

Furthermore, with the apparatus 500 the O-ring 200 such as the flexibleO-ring may be mounted into the groove 402 of the work piece 400automatically. As such, the efficiency and accuracy for mounting theO-ring 200 to the work piece 400 are improved. In some embodiments, inorder to detect a position of the O-ring 200 on the predeterminedposition, so that the robot 300 may move the picking components 501 tothe position to pick the O-ring 200, a positioning sensor (not shown)may be attached to the robot 300 or the picking components 501, whichwill be discussed with reference to FIG. 17 below.

In some embodiments, in order to prevent the O-ring 200 from droppingaccidentally during the picking process, an arc groove may be providedon the outer circumference of the picking components 501, as shown inFIG. 6. The arc groove may at least partially receive the O-ring 200circumferentially, thereby preventing the accidental dropping of O-ring200 during the picking process.

In order to couple the picking components 501 to the robot 300, in someembodiments, each of the picking components 501 may comprise a couplingmechanism 5012 for coupling with the robot 300, as shown in FIG. 6. Insome embodiments, the coupling mechanism 5012 may be a structure thatmay be inserted into the operating mechanism 301. In some otherembodiments, the coupling mechanism 5012 may be attached to theoperating mechanism 301 via suitable supports. It is to be understoodthat these example implementations of the coupling mechanism 5012 inFIG. 6 are merely for illustration, without suggesting any limitationsas to the scope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable structuresand/or arrangements arc possible as well.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the O-ring 200 located on thetapered surface of the frustum portion 5021 may be pushed by a surface5013 of each of the picking components 501. In these embodiments, afterreleasing the O-ring 200 onto the tapered surface of the frustum portion5021, the picking components 501 may then move toward the O-ring 200 tocontact and push the O-ring 200 into the groove 402. In someembodiments, the picking components 501 may press the O-ring 200repeatedly while the orientation of the picking components 501 beingadjusted to ensure that the O-ring 200 is pressed into the groove 402.As a result, no matter where the O-ring 200 is dropped on the taperedsurface of the frustum portion 5021, the O-ring 200 may be reliablymounted in the groove 402 on the work piece 400, without detecting theposition and shape.

It can be seen that the O-ring 200 may be picked and pushed into thegroove 402 with the picking components 501. It will be appreciated thatduring the picking and pushing processes, the O-ring 200 is subject toforces applied by the picking components 501. In some embodiments, inorder to make the forces evenly distributed on the O-ring 200 during thepicking and pushing processes, the picking component 501 may be evenlydistributed along the circumference of the O-ring 200 at least duringthe picking and pushing processes.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the picking components 501 mayeach have a substantially arc shape. In this way, the arcuatecircumference of the picking components 501 may contact the O-ring 200evenly. In some other embodiments, a number of the picking components501 may be more than two and a shape of each of the picking components501 may be any suitable shape, such as cylinder shape or the like. It isto be understood that the above number and the shape of the pickingcomponents 501 are merely for illustration, without suggesting anylimitations as to the scope of the present disclosure. Any othersuitable structures and/or number are possible as well.

Alternatively, or in addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus 500for mounting the O-ring 200 to the work piece 400 may comprise aplurality of finger mechanisms 503, as shown in FIG. 9. Furthermore, thefrustum portion 5021 may comprise a plurality of through slots 5025arranged along the circumference of the large end face 5022. A number offinger mechanisms 503 may be corresponding to the number of the throughslots 5025, or smaller that the number of the through slots 5025. Insome embodiments, the through slots 5025 may be arranged evenly alongthe circumference of the large end face 5022, which is more conducive tomanufacturing. It is to be understood that the above embodiment of evenarrangement of the through slots 5025 is merely for illustration,without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of the presentdisclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements arepossible as well. For example, alternatively, in some embodiments, thethrough slots 5025 may be arranged unevenly.

In operation, after the O-ring 200 is released onto the taper surface ofthe frustum portion 5021, the O-ring 200 may be located across thethrough slots 5025, as shown in FIG. 10A. The finger mechanisms 503 maybe actuated to move along the respective through slots 5025 with theirbottom surface contacting the O-ring 200. Due to the small width of eachof the through slots 5025, the O-ring 200 cannot be pushed into thethrough slots 5025 during the above pushing process. In this way, withthe movement of the finger mechanisms 503 along the through slots 5025,the O-ring 200 is pushed into the groove 402, as shown in FIG. 10B.

In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the O-ring 200 is pushedinto the groove 402, the finger mechanisms 503 may be rotated to adjusttheir posture, so that the O-ring 200 is further pushed with their sidesurfaces, as shown in FIG. 10C. It is to be understood that this pushingprocess by the side surfaces also can be done by the picking components501. In some embodiments, the picking components 501 and the fingermechanisms 503 may be the same components.

In some embodiments, the finger mechanisms 503 may be coupled to therobot 300, so that they may be controlled and actuated by the robot 300.The finger mechanisms 503 may be coupled to the robot 300 by their owncoupling structure or by an extra coupling structure.

Referring back to FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the guiding component 502may further comprise a coupling portion 5024 for coupling the guidingcomponent 502 to the robot 300. The coupling portion 5024 may be acylinder extending from a small end face 5026 of the frustum portion5021 along a central axis A of the guiding component 502, so that therobot 300 may clamp the coupling portion 5024 and arrange it onto theend surface 401 of the work piece 400. It is to be understood that theabove embodiment of arranging the guiding component 502 onto the endsurface 401 by the robot 300 is merely for illustration, withoutsuggesting any limitations as to the scope of the present disclosure.Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements are possible as well.For example, in some embodiments, the coupling portion 5024 may beomitted, and the guiding component 502 may be arranged onto the endsurface 401 through a suitable fixture.

In order to reduce a weight of the guiding component 502, the guidingcomponent 502 may be hollow. As such, the guiding component 502 can beclamped up with low energy consumption. In some embodiments, as shown inFIG. 8, the guiding component 502 may comprise an aligning portion 5027for aligning the guiding component 502 with the work piece 400. To thisend, the aligning portion 5027 may be a portion that extends from alarge end face 5022 along the central axis A and may be inserted into aninner hole formed in the work piece 400. In this way, the guidingcomponent 502 is aligned with the work piece 400, with the frustumportion 5021 coaxial with the groove 402.

It is to be understood that the above embodiment of aligning the guidingcomponent 502 with the work piece 400 is merely for illustration,without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of the presentdisclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements arepossible as well. For example, in some embodiments, the guidingcomponent 502 may be aligned with the work piece 400 by inserting bumpsformed on the large end face 5022 of the guiding component 502 into thecorresponding slots formed on the end surface 401.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of method for mounting the O-ring 200 on thework piece 400 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Themethod 1100 may be implemented by the robot 300 to control the abovementioned apparatus 500 for mounting the O-ring 200 on the work piece400. As shown, in block 1110, the guiding component 502 may be provided,for example by the robot 300, on the end surface 401.

In block 1120, the plurality of picking components 501 are moved awayfrom each other to contact and expand the O-ring 200 to pick the O-ring200. Then in block 1130, the O-ring 200 is released onto the tapersurface of the frustum portion 5021. In block 1140, the O-ring 200 ispushed into the groove 402.

The foregoing shows the apparatus 500 and method 1100 for mounting theO-rings 200 to the work piece 400 according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure. As mentioned above, the O-rings 200 at thepredetermined position may be expanded and thereby picked by theplurality of picking components 501. The O-ring 200 is then released onthe guiding component 502 and pushed into the groove 402. In theseembodiments, the O-ring 200 may be mounted in the groove 402automatically and precisely.

In addition to the apparatus 500 as described above, in someembodiments, another kind of apparatus 600 for mounting the O-ring 200in the groove 402 of the work piece 400 is proposed. FIG. 12 shows aperspective view of the apparatus 600 for mounting the O-ring 200 to thework piece 400; and FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of theapparatus 600 for mounting the O-ring 200 to the work piece 400according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, in general, the apparatus 600 comprises abody 601, an annular groove 6013 formed on the body 601 and a pluralityof air channels 6014 formed in the body 601. The body 601 may beconnected to a pressure source 650 through a plurality of connectingholes 6015 formed on the body 601, as shown in FIG. 14. The air channels6014 may be in fluid communication with the annular groove 6013 and theconnecting holes 6015. In this way, negative pressure may be provided inthe annular groove 6013 with the pressure source 650 to suck the O-ring200 in the annular groove 6013 when annular groove 6013 is near theO-ring 200.

After the O-ring 200 is sucked in the annular groove 6013, the body 601is then actuated to move to a position over the work piece 400, so thatthe annular groove 6013 may be coaxial with the groove 402 on the workpiece 400. The pressure source 650 is then disconnected from the body601, and thus the negative pressure is removed. In this way, the O-ring200 is dropped into the groove 402. It is to be understood that thedisconnecting of the pressure source 650 from the body 601 may beachieve by a valve or the like. Furthermore, in some embodiments, theO-ring 200 may be dropped under its own gravity. Alternatively, in someembodiments, the O-ring 200 also may be dropped into the groove 400through a guiding surface or the like, for example. It is to beunderstood that the above embodiments of the O-ring 200 being droppedinto the groove 402 are merely for illustration, without suggesting anylimitations as to the scope of the present disclosure. Any othersuitable methods and/or arrangements are possible as well.

It can be seen that in some embodiments, with the negative pressureformed in the annular groove 6013, the O-ring 200 may be sucked in theannular groove 6013. In these embodiments, the O-ring 200 is pickedwithout deformation. Thus, the O-ring 200 may be dropped in the groove402 directly. In this way, the O-ring 200 is picked and mounted moreefficiently. It is to be understood that the above embodiment of suckingthe O-rings 200 in the annular groove 6013 by the pressure source 650 ismerely for illustration, without suggesting any limitations as to thescope of the present disclosure. Any other suitable structures and/orarrangements are possible as well.

In some embodiments, instead of disconnecting pressure source 650 fromthe body 601 to drop the O-ring 200 in the groove 402, the pressuresource 650 may provide positive pressure to the air channel 6014 to blowthe O-ring 200 out of the groove 402. In this way, when the body 601with the O-ring 200 is moved over the work piece 400, the positivepressure provided by the pressure source 650 may form air flow blowingfrom the air channel 6014 towards the O-ring 200. Consequently, theO-ring 200 may be dropped in the groove 402 of the work piece 400 withthe air flow. Furthermore, because the air flow from the air channel6014 may push the O-ring towards the groove 402, the blowing air flowmay facilitate the mounting of the O-ring 200.

The pressure source 650 for providing the positive pressure and thenegative pressure may be a same pressure source 650 or two separatedpressure sources. In the case of the pressure source being two separatedpressure sources, the separated pressure sources may be connected to thedifferent connecting holes 6015 respectively. As a result, when the body601 with the O-ring 200 is moved over the work piece 400, the pressuresource providing the negative pressure may be disconnected from the body101 and the pressure source providing the positive pressure may thenprovide the positive to the air channel 6013.

In some embodiments, the body 601 may comprise at least one mountingportion 6017 formed on the body 601 for coupling the body 601 to therobot 300, as shown in FIG. 14. In this way, the apparatus 600 may bemanipulated by the robot 300 automatically. It is to be understood thatthe mounting portions 6017 as shown in FIG. 14 are merely forillustration, without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of thepresent disclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or number arepossible as well. For example, in some embodiments, the mountingportions 6017 may be structures that may be inserted into the operatingmechanism 301. In some other embodiments, the mounting portions 6017 maybe attached to the operating mechanism 301 via suitable supports.

In some embodiments, a radial cross-section of the annular groove 6013may be of arc shape, as shown in FIG. 15. In these embodiments, a radiusof the radial cross-section of the O-ring 200 may be substantially thesame as the wire diameter or the O-ring 200, and thus the O-ring 200 mayfit an inner surface of the annular groove 6013, as shown in FIG. 15. Asa result, the negative pressure formed in the air channel 6014 and theannular groove 6013 is not easy to leak and thus the O-ring 200 may beheld in the annular groove 6013 more steadily. In this way, it ispossible to improve stability when the O-ring 200 is sucked in theannular groove 6013.

As shown in FIG. 15, in some embodiments, at least one edge of theannular groove 6013 may be chamfered. For example, one or both of theedges of the annular groove 6013 may be rounded, so that the annulargroove 6013 may have a larger opening for receiving the O-ring 200. Theradius of the rounded chamfer of the edge of the annular groove 6013 iswell designed to avoid affecting the suction of the O-ring 200 in theannular groove 6013. Such an arrangement facilitates sucking the O-ringin the annular groove 6013.

In some embodiments, the body 601 may be manipulated to move back andforth in multiple directions while being moved towards or away from theO-ring 200, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIG. 16A shows a top view ofthe body 601 and FIG. 16B shows a side view of the body 601. As aresult, with the above movements of the body 601, sections of the O-ring200 that are not sucked in the annual groove 6013 due to the deformationmay be contacted and pushed by a surface of the body 601 formed with theannular groove 6013. In this way, it is ensured that the O-ring 200 maybe sucked in the annular groove 6013 even when the O-ring 200 isdeformed.

It can be seen that in some embodiments, with the multi-direction andup-and-down movements of the body 601, even the O-ring 200 is slightlydeformed, it may be sucked in the annular groove 6013. Furthermore, thering shape of the annular groove 6013 and the sucking force formedtherein are helpful to reshape the deformed O-ring 200, whichfacilitates the mounting of the O-ring 200.

In some embodiments, after dropping the O-ring 200 in the groove 402,the body 601 may be actuated to move back and forth in multipledirections while being moved towards or away from the O-ring 200. Inthis way, it is ensured that the O-ring 200 is mounted in the groove 402on the work piece 400.

In some embodiments, the body 601 may adopt a split structure for easeof manufacture. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the body 601 maycomprise two portions (for ease of discussion, refer to as “a firstportion 6011” and “a second portion 6012” respectively) and at least onesealing component 602 arranged between the first portion 6011 and thesecond portion 6012. In these embodiments, the annular groove 6013 andthe air channels 6014 may be formed in the second portion 6012 and theconnecting holes 6015 may be formed in the first portion 6011.

The first portion 6011 and the second portion 6012 may be secured by anysuitable mechanisms including, but not limited to, screws, bolts andnuts, welding or the like, for example. The sealing components 602, suchas O-rings, may be arranged between the first portion 6011 and thesecond portion 6012 to prevent the vacuum in the annular groove 6013 andthe air channels 6014 from leaking. It is to be understood that theabove embodiment of the structure of the body 601 is merely forillustration, without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of thepresent disclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or arrangementsare possible as well. For example, the body 601 may be formed bythree-dimensional (3D) printing.

In some embodiments, the body 601 may further comprise a vacuum chamber6016 for connecting the air channels 6014 and the connecting holes 6015.The vacuum chamber 6016 may be formed in the first portion 6011 andring-shaped coaxially with the annular groove 6013. With the vacuumchamber 6016 between the air channels 6014 and the connecting holes6015, the numbers of the air channels 6014 and the connecting holes 6015may be set separately. For example, the number of the connecting holes6015 may be set to one or two to simplify the connecting structure withthe pressure source 650. In the same time, the air channels 6014 may bemore than ten and arranged evenly and circumferentially to make thenegative pressure formed in the annular groove 6013 more uniform.

Furthermore, the vacuum chamber 6016 may provide a buffer for the vacuumformed in the air channels 6014 and the annular groove 6013, thuspreventing the O-ring 200 from accidentally falling due to a suddeninterruption of the vacuum. It is to be understood that the aboveembodiment of the vacuum chamber 602 is merely for illustration, withoutsuggesting any limitations as to the scope of the present disclosure.Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements are possible as well.For example, the vacuum chamber 602 may adopt a segmented structure,which makes the body 601 more robust.

As mentioned above, the O-ring 200 may be sucked into the annular groove6013 when the annular groove 6013 is near the O-ring 200. In order todetect a position of the O-ring 200 on the predetermined position, sothat the robot 300 may move the body 601 to the position near the O-ring200, a positioning sensor 603 may be attached to the body 601, as shownin FIG. 17. Only by way of example, the positioning sensor 603 will bediscussed in detail to introduce the use of a positioning sensor herein.It is to be understood that the positioning sensor may be used in anysuitable scenarios or components as mentioned herein. For example, thepositioning sensor may be attached to the picking components 501, therobot 300 or the like. Specifically, the positioning sensor 603 may be alaser sensor which detects the position of the O-ring 200 by sensing thedistance difference. In some embodiments, the positioning sensor 603 maybe a camera. In these embodiments, a processing unit, such as the robot300, may process images captured by the camera to detect the position ofthe O-ring 200.

Furthermore, the positioning sensor 603 may also detect a position ofthe groove 402 on the work piece 400, so that the body 601 may be movedto a position aligned with the position to mount the O-ring 200. In someembodiments, the positioning sensor 603 may be mounted to the robot 300or any other suitable structures. It is to be understood that the aboveembodiment of the positioning sensor 603 is merely for illustration,without suggesting any limitations as to the scope of the presentdisclosure. Any other suitable structures and/or arrangements arepossible as well.

FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of method for mounting the O-ring 200 on thework piece 400 according to some other embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The method 1800 may be implemented by the robot 300 tocontrol the above mentioned apparatus 600 for mounting the O-ring 200 onthe work piece 400. As shown, in block 1810, the O-ring 200 may besucked in the annular groove 6013 by the negative pressure formedtherein.

In block 1820, the body 601 may be moved over the work piece, with theannular groove 6013 being coaxial with the groove 402 of the work piece400. Then in block 1830, the O-ring 200 is dropped into the groove 402by disconnecting the pressure source 650 from the body 601 or providingpositive pressure to the plurality of air channels 6014 using thepressure source. In this way, the O-ring 200 is sucked by the apparatus600 and dropped in the groove 402.

In some embodiments, before the body 601 is moved over the work piece400, the body 601 may be moved back and forth in multiple directionswhile being moved towards and away from the O-ring 200. In this way, itis may be ensured that the O-ring 200 may be sucked in the annulargroove 6013.

In some embodiments, after the O-ring 200 is dropped into the groove402, the body may be moved back and forth in multiple directions whilebeing moved towards and away from the O-ring 200. This step may ensurethe O-ring 200 to be in the groove 402.

As can be seen from the above embodiments of the present disclosure, theplurality of O-rings 200, particularly the flexible O-rings may beseparated, fed and mounted to the work piece 400 automatically. Thisoverall improves the accuracy and efficiency of the assembly of the workpiece 400 involves the separating, feeding and mounting of the O-rings200.

It should be appreciated that the above detailed embodiments of thepresent disclosure are only to exemplify or explain principles of thepresent disclosure and not to limit the present disclosure. Therefore,any modifications, equivalent alternatives and improvement, etc. withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure shall becomprised in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.Meanwhile, appended claims of the present disclosure aim to cover allthe variations and modifications falling under the scope and boundary ofthe claims or equivalents of the scope and boundary.

1. An apparatus for separating and feeding O-rings, comprising: a rotatable body comprising a storage portion and a separating portion; a helix groove formed on the rotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of a O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of the rotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to thereby separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a limiting mechanism arranged over the separating potion and adapted to prevent the plurality of O-rings from being out of the helix groove during the conveying.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a holding mechanism arranged over the storage portion and comprising: a guiding section extended from an end of the limiting mechanism adjacent to the storage portion and away from the rotatable body in a direction opposite to the feeding direction; and a holding section extending from an end of the guiding section away from the separating portion and adapted to be received in an operating mechanism of a robot to couple the limiting mechanism to the robot.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the limiting mechanism, the guiding mechanism and the holding mechanism are integrally formed.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a distance between the limiting mechanism and the rotatable body is smaller than the wire diameter of the O-ring.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the limiting mechanism is attached to the rotatable body by magnetic attraction.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the helix groove on the storage portion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of an arc shape.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the helix groove on the separating portion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of a rectangular or trapezoidal shape.
 9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotatable body is adapted to be received in an operating mechanism of a robot to thereby be coupled to the robot.
 10. (canceled)
 11. (canceled)
 12. A system, comprising: a robot; and an apparatus operably engaged with said robot to separate and feed O-rings, the apparatus comprising: a rotatable body comprising a storage portion and a separating portion; a helix groove formed on the rotatable body across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of an O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, wherein in response to a rotation of the rotatable body, the helix groove conveys a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a limiting mechanism arranged over the separating potion and adapted to prevent the plurality of O-rings from being out of the helix groove during the conveying.
 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a holding mechanism arranged over the storage portion and comprising: a guiding section extended from an end of the limiting mechanism adjacent to the storage portion and away from the rotatable body in a direction opposite to the feeding direction; and a holding section extending from an end of the guiding section away from the separating portion and adapted to be received in an operating mechanism of a robot to couple the limiting mechanism to the robot.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the limiting mechanism, the guiding mechanism and the holding mechanism are integrally formed.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein a distance between the limiting mechanism and the rotatable body is smaller than the wire diameter of the O-ring.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the limiting mechanism is attached to the rotatable body by magnetic attraction.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein a cross-section of the helix groove on the storage portion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of an arc shape.
 19. The system of claim 12, wherein a cross-section of the helix groove on the separating portion in a plane parallel to the feeding direction is of a rectangular or trapezoidal shape.
 20. A method for separating and feeding O-rings with an apparatus comprising a rotatable body including a storage portion and a separating portion, the body having a helix groove formed thereon across the storage portion and the separating portion, wherein a width and a depth of the helix groove are adapted to a wire diameter of a O-ring, and pitch of the helix groove on the separating portion increases along a feeding direction from the storage portion to the separating portion, the method comprises: rotating the rotatable body; and conveying with the helix grove a plurality of O-rings hanged on the storage portion to the separating portion to separate the plurality of O-rings away from each other. 